President Rodrigo Duterte has led the Philippines into "a nightmare of brutal slaughter" with his ongoing anti-drug campaign that has so far claimed the lives of more than 5,000 drug suspects, the editorial of the New York Times has declared.
"In the name of eliminating drug crime, President Rodrigo Duterte has plunged the Philippines into a nightmare of brutal slaughter," NYT said in an editorial piece published on Saturday.
The editorial cited more than 2,000 drug suspects and more than 3,500 homicides remain unsolved since July 1, a day after Duterte assumed office.
The NYT said such killings would not have taken place without Duterte's approval since he promised to go after drug personalities during the presidential campaign.
"Even if Mr. Duterte has not directly ordered individual killings, there is no doubt they are being carried out with his approval. Mr. Duterte campaigned on a promise to begin a killing spree to eliminate the country’s drug problem, and he pledged bounties to those who would help," the editorial said.
Duterte has repeatedly denied that the government was behind the deaths under investigation—those committed by unidentified assailants—of drug suspects in the country.
The President, however, has also repeatedly stood by police officers who allegedly shot it out with drug personalities who supposedly chose to fight the law enforcers than be arrested.
The NYT said Duterte continued his war on illegal drugs despite opposition from the United Nations, the European Union, and its long-time ally the United States on his drug war and its alleged human rights violations.
It also cited Duterte's remarks against President Barack Obama, who he called a "son of a whore," and his threats to pull the Philippines out of the UN and the International Criminal Court.
"He has defied calls from the United Nations, the United States and the European Union to stop, instead lashing out, calling President Obama a 'son of a whore' and threatening to pull the Philippines out of the United Nations and the International Criminal Court," the editorial said.
The NYT said it was concerned with how the Duterte's conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump, as narrated by the Filipino leader.
Based on the transcript release by the Presidential Communications Office, Duterte quoted Trump saying the Philippines was "doing it as a sovereign nation, the right way."
"He was quite sensitive also to our worry about drugs... Well we are doing it as a sovereign nation, the right way. And he wishes us well. And I said that, well, we assured him of our ties with America," Duterte said of his conversation with Trump.
The NYT said Trump has yet to challenge the accuracy of Duterte's claims, "leaving the impression that the incoming US president condones the methods of Duterte."
"So far, Mr. Trump, who has business interests in the Philippines, hasn’t challenged Mr. Duterte’s version of the conversation, leaving the impression that the future president of the United States condones the murderous methods of a strongman," it said.
Moreover, the editorial said the threats of Duterte to sever ties with its American treaty ally because of criticisms in his anti-drug campaign sends a signal on the rise of "defiant strongmen."
"Mr. Duterte has also threatened to sever longstanding ties with the United States because of criticism aimed at his anti-drug campaign, and has moved to build stronger ties with China," the NYT said.
"But neither the historic relationship nor America’s vital interests in the region is sufficient reason to be silent about a leader who proudly brandishes his contempt for the rule of law. Doing so sends a dangerous signal to a world where defiant strongmen are on the rise," it added.
The NYT over the weekend published a report on Duterte's anti-drug war.
The story featured photojournalist Daniel Berehulak's report on the cases of 57 homicide victims in 35 days.
The editorial described the report as "the horror being inflicted on a population living in fear that death can strike anyone, at any moment, with impunity."
"In the name of eliminating drug crime, President Rodrigo Duterte has plunged the Philippines into a nightmare of brutal slaughter," NYT said in an editorial piece published on Saturday.
The editorial cited more than 2,000 drug suspects and more than 3,500 homicides remain unsolved since July 1, a day after Duterte assumed office.
The NYT said such killings would not have taken place without Duterte's approval since he promised to go after drug personalities during the presidential campaign.
"Even if Mr. Duterte has not directly ordered individual killings, there is no doubt they are being carried out with his approval. Mr. Duterte campaigned on a promise to begin a killing spree to eliminate the country’s drug problem, and he pledged bounties to those who would help," the editorial said.
Duterte has repeatedly denied that the government was behind the deaths under investigation—those committed by unidentified assailants—of drug suspects in the country.
The President, however, has also repeatedly stood by police officers who allegedly shot it out with drug personalities who supposedly chose to fight the law enforcers than be arrested.
The NYT said Duterte continued his war on illegal drugs despite opposition from the United Nations, the European Union, and its long-time ally the United States on his drug war and its alleged human rights violations.
It also cited Duterte's remarks against President Barack Obama, who he called a "son of a whore," and his threats to pull the Philippines out of the UN and the International Criminal Court.
"He has defied calls from the United Nations, the United States and the European Union to stop, instead lashing out, calling President Obama a 'son of a whore' and threatening to pull the Philippines out of the United Nations and the International Criminal Court," the editorial said.
The NYT said it was concerned with how the Duterte's conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump, as narrated by the Filipino leader.
Based on the transcript release by the Presidential Communications Office, Duterte quoted Trump saying the Philippines was "doing it as a sovereign nation, the right way."
"He was quite sensitive also to our worry about drugs... Well we are doing it as a sovereign nation, the right way. And he wishes us well. And I said that, well, we assured him of our ties with America," Duterte said of his conversation with Trump.
The NYT said Trump has yet to challenge the accuracy of Duterte's claims, "leaving the impression that the incoming US president condones the methods of Duterte."
"So far, Mr. Trump, who has business interests in the Philippines, hasn’t challenged Mr. Duterte’s version of the conversation, leaving the impression that the future president of the United States condones the murderous methods of a strongman," it said.
Moreover, the editorial said the threats of Duterte to sever ties with its American treaty ally because of criticisms in his anti-drug campaign sends a signal on the rise of "defiant strongmen."
"Mr. Duterte has also threatened to sever longstanding ties with the United States because of criticism aimed at his anti-drug campaign, and has moved to build stronger ties with China," the NYT said.
"But neither the historic relationship nor America’s vital interests in the region is sufficient reason to be silent about a leader who proudly brandishes his contempt for the rule of law. Doing so sends a dangerous signal to a world where defiant strongmen are on the rise," it added.
The NYT over the weekend published a report on Duterte's anti-drug war.
The story featured photojournalist Daniel Berehulak's report on the cases of 57 homicide victims in 35 days.
The editorial described the report as "the horror being inflicted on a population living in fear that death can strike anyone, at any moment, with impunity."
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